Sam Allardyce RSS feedhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/sam-allardyce
enAllardyce: Chelsea not allowed to be off formWest Ham manager Sam Allardyce expects League Cup winners Chelsea to be at the top of their game when they visit Upton Park on Wednesday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-chelsea-arent-allowed-be-form
Jose Mourinho's men are fresh from a 2-0 Wembley win over Tottenham and can take another step towards regaining the Premier League title.
With Allardyce's side having been beaten 3-1by Crystal Palace last time out, he wants his charges to rediscover the form that saw them come close to winning at White Hart Lane last month.
He said: "We look forward to Chelsea now and it's the third derby in a row. We have to get back to the level of the Tottenham performance to help us try to get a result against the best team in the Premier League at the moment.
"Jose's teams rarely slip up and that's why they're so good. The demand from Chelsea Football Club to the players is that they're not allowed to be off form.
"I expect them to be efficient in every department and that's why they're top of the league.
"They rarely make mistakes and that makes it difficult to score against them.
"For me it's about the players playing their best and hopefully on the day that can help us get the result."
Allardyce confirmed that he has no fresh injury concerns as West Ham go in search of their first win in seven games in all competitions.
news_articleTue, 03 Mar 2015 10:08:05 +0000354252 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce shocked after Palace lossSam Allardyce confessed to being shocked following West Hams 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-shocked-after-home-loss
Glenn Murray scored twice and Scott Dann found the net - all three goals coming from Jason Puncheon crosses, two of which were corners -making Enner Valencia's late strike nothing more than a consolation.
The hosts could not take advantage of Murray's late dismissal as their winless run was extended to six matches.
"I'm shocked. Our level of performance wasn't where I expected it to be," Allardyce said in quotes reported by the BBC.
"It's disappointing when we've built expectation levels so high at home. It's about the basics, really. If we don't play to our best, we'll struggle.
"We warned the lads about Crystal Palace's set-plays, because 50 per centof their goals have come from set-plays. And we've conceded from two corners and a free-kick."
Murray was perhaps fortunate not to see red in the first half when, before he scored and having already been booked, he fouledCheikhou Kouyate.
And Allardyce was not impressed with some of the decisions that went against his side.
He added: "I think Glenn Murray could have been sent off in the first half for the number of fouls he committed.
"He was lucky to stay on for that long. We should have had a penalty for the foul on Diafra Sakho, and it should have been a red card for Mile Jedinak too. That would have made it 3-2, and then you never know."
news_articleSat, 28 Feb 2015 15:24:30 +0000352460 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce striving to develop more NoblesSam Allardyce has praised Mark Noble as an example West Ham should be striving to replicate after the midfielder signed a new contract with the club.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-striving-develop-more-nobles
Noble, who has spent his entire career at Upton Park,penned a new five-year-deal on Thursday.
The agreement will see Nobleremain with West Ham until 2020, when he will be 32.
Speaking about West Ham's record Premier League appearance-holder: Allardyce said: "He's come through the academy, like James Tomkins, and we want to produce more players. That's what we're striving for."
West Ham host Crystal Palace on Saturday having gone five games without a win, a frustrating run that Allardyce is determined to end.
"We've slipped out of the elite area of the Premier League and the last three games we were seconds away from sitting in the top six," Allardyce added.
"Last Sunday [when West Ham threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Tottenham]was a huge disappointment but the players deserve a huge amount of credit. We could've got seven points from our last three games.
"We've had a good week in training and we're ready for the early kick-off on Saturday."
news_articleThu, 26 Feb 2015 12:09:29 +0000351183 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBentaleb hits back at Allardyce claimsNabil Bentaleb has hit back at allegations from West Ham manager Sam Allardyce that Tottenham players go down too easily following their 2-2 draw on Sunday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/bentaleb-hits-back-allardyce-claims
West Ham appeared to be on the way to victory over their London rivals at White Hart Lane after goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho gave them a 2-0 lead.
But Danny Rose pulled one back in the 81stminutebefore Harry Kane scored on the rebound from his saved penalty, awarded after he had been felled by Alex Song, in the 96th minute.
Afterwards Allardyce indicated that Tottenham go down quickly regardless of the level of contact to give the referee a decision to make, but midfielder Bentaleb has dismissed those remarks.
"He [Allardyce] can say whatever he wants," Bentaleb said.
"We scored a penalty in the last minute. Maybe it's because of this, I can understand if he's a little bit angry. But it's not true. Of course it was a penalty – there's no doubt about that.
"If he wants to argue, we could also say Noble could have been sent off. But this is football. Sometimes the referee makes decisions and you just have to shut your mouth and not complain.
"The positive thing we can take out of this game is that we believed until the end and once again we scored in the last minute and managed to get that point."
news_articleMon, 23 Feb 2015 15:17:00 +0000349491 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce set to unleash Nene on PalaceSam Allardyce has revealed that recent signing Nene will be included in West Hams squad for Saturdays London derby against Crystal Palace.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-set-unleash-nene-palace
West Ham boss Allardyce saidlast Friday that formerParis Saint-Germain and Monaco forward Nene wouldnot come into contention for up to afortnight due to a lack of match fitness.
However, Carlton Cole hasjoined Andy Carroll on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury during Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Tottenham, meaningNene is therefore in line tomake his debutat Upton Park this weekend.
Allardyce told the club's official website: "Nene would have probably featured anyway but he will definitely be involved now because we're down to the two strikers with Andy Carroll's injury and Carlton Cole's new hamstring problem,
"Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho did a fantastic job - like the whole team - against Tottenham. It was just a shame we were not all going out celebrating another victory against Tottenham."
West Ham squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at White Hart Lane on Sunday, with Harry Kane scoring a last-gasp equaliser.
Allardyce is urging his players to put that disappointment behind them by seeing off Palace.
He added: "Sunday was a bit difficult for the lads to take but we have to take heart out of the performance and go and deliver that performance against a team that has got momentum.
"Let's take it out on them and if we play like we did on Sunday we'll have the opportunity to beat them."
news_articleMon, 23 Feb 2015 12:02:18 +0000349395 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce rues West Ham misfortune at SpursWest Ham boss Sam Allardyce rued a lack of luck after they let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with Tottenham in the Premier League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-rues-west-ham-misfortune
West Ham won twice at White Hart Lane last season and looked set to secure victory at the home of their London rivals once again when they were in command courtesy of goals fromCheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho.
Allardyce's men had chances to extend their lead further in an impressive display at the end of a week of frenzied speculation over the 60-year-old manager's future and they were left to rue not killing the game off.
Danny Rose pulled a goal back with a scuffed strike nine minutes from time and Harry Kane snatched a point with the last kick of the game with he tucked in the rebound after Adrian had saved his spot-kick.
Kane's penalty was awarded after he went down under a challenge from Alex Song and Allardyce felt the experienced midfielder should have kept his hands to himself.
He said: "You've got to win it when you've got in the position to win it.
"Our flaw since new year has just been how many times we've been in the lead and how many times we haven't seen that lead into a victory.
"That's why we've slipped into the position we're in.Had we taken full advantage of the leads we have taken, we would be sitting in sixth or fifth position in the league, maybe even better than that.
"Rather than our deficiency I thought it was more good fortune for Tottenham. The first goal was a complete mishit, when it bounces over the goalkeeper after its hit the floor.
"It's so unusual that sort of thing happens and it sneaks in the corner. It lifts the opposition and from our point of view,Alex has to keep his hands off him, because he's going to feel that contact and take to the floor.
"He's got to, it's no one'sdoubt that when you're losing at that stage of the game you know you're not going to score because he's kicked it too far.
"You're going to take the chance and the referee gives him the opportunity to take the penalty and he wasn't good enough to score that, but lucky enough to get the rebound.
"It all ends up with being very unlucky, but on the penalty if we'd have just kept our head a bit,we'd have seen out the result. It was a great performance, but not a great result."
news_articleSun, 22 Feb 2015 15:42:58 +0000348886 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comFresh setback crippling for West Hams CarrollSam Allardyce is worried that a fresh long-term injury for Andy Carroll could be crippling mentally for the West Ham striker.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/fresh-setback-crippling-carroll
All three of Carroll's seasons at Upton Park have been heavily interrupted by fitness issues and he will play no further part in the current campaign due to a knee injury that requires surgery.
Carroll has already missed an estimated 14 months of action due to injuries in his time with the club.
A struggle to play regularly has affected the England international as he looks to rebuild a reputation damaged by a fruitless spell at Liverpool.
Allardyce said: "It's crippling mentally for Andy of course because it was such an innocuous situation when you saw it - he just ran into a defender.
"These things have been testing Andy for a number of years so we all feel for him and we all miss him and want him playing for us, because you saw what an impact he has made."
news_articleSun, 15 Feb 2015 10:07:44 +0000344206 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce: Fatigue cost West Ham in FA Cup exitWest Ham manager Sam Allardyce felt fatigue and injuries cost his side dear in Saturdays 4-0 FA Cup fifth rounddefeat to West Brom on Saturday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/fatigue-cost-west-ham-fa-cup-exit-allardyce
Allardyce was without the likes of Andy Carroll, James Collins and Winston Reid for the defeat at The Hawthorns, as a Browne Ideye doubleand goals fromJames Morrison and Saido Berahino ensured Albion'sprogress to the quarter-finals.
With substitute Morgan Amalfitano sent off late on, Allardyce had no complaints about a dismal outing and refused to criticise his players.
"I wouldn't say I was shocked by it, it's probably been coming based on what we've had to cope with over the last few weeks," he told BT Sport.
"I think it told on us today, there's no doubt about that. I have to give West Brom a lot of credit too - they were very good.
"I look at the players and there was not the energy we know they've got based on what they've been through in the last few weeks - especially this week.
"We played a huge effort on Sunday against Man United and then we had to do 30 minutes with nine men against Southampton on Wednesday.
"Those two games have really caught up with us today. Those players couldn't get near the energy levels we know they can and we couldn'tlive with West Brom in the end.
"I'm not going to criticise my players, they've given everything they've got. Anyone who says they haven't doesn't know much about football."
On the Amalfitano dismissal, which saw two yellow cards issued in quick succession for a foul and subsequent push on Chris Brunt, Allardyce said the decision mattered little in the context of the game.
"It's unprofessional isn't it?The punishment is laid down in our code of conduct and by the Football League," he added.
"That will be dealt with internally and we move on. I don't think it would have made much of a difference to the result, I don't think we'd have got back into the game."
news_articleSat, 14 Feb 2015 16:13:39 +0000343773 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comCarroll set for a minimum of four weeks outAndy Carrolls best-case scenario is four to six weeks out after suffering medial ligament damage in his knee, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has revealed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/carroll-set-minimum-four-weeks-out
The striker suffered the setback in Wednesday's 0-0 Premier Leaguedraw at Southampton, butremained on the pitch as the visitors had used all three substitutions.
Allardyce, who saw goalkeeper Adrian dismissed in that match, provided an update on Carroll's prognosis ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tieat West Brom.
"A full diagnosis on Andy is yet to come and we should have that today, but it looks like a few weeks," Allardyce said on Friday.
"The medial ligament on the inside of his knee has a little tear from a fairly innocuous collision with the defender.
"If we're lucky it could be four to six weeks. It's a big blow for him and us but one we've got to cope with."
Adrian was sent off just past the hour mark at St Mary's Stadium after attempting to wrong-foot the oncoming Sadio Mane, only to lose control and handle the ball outside the area.
Allardyce felt his goalkeeper had been fouled and questioned the justificationof the red card, having already declared his intention to appeal.
"I think that looking at Adrian's red card it's not just the foul on him, but was it a goalscoring opportunity?" he said.
"You get sent off if it's denying a goalscoring opportunity and if you look at the situation we don't think it was denying one."
Victory this weekend would send West Ham into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and that is Allardyce's sole focus at The Hawthorns.
"Our run in the FA Cup up to now has been very good, it's given us a lot of joy," he added.
"The West Brom game is about winning, so we have to go there and try to win."
news_articleFri, 13 Feb 2015 10:18:35 +0000342987 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWest Ham deal for Diarra off, admits AllardyceSam Allardyce said administrative difficulties have prevented West Ham from completing the signing of Lassana Diarra on a free transfer.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/west-ham-deal-diarra-allardyce
West Ham had been expected to tie up a deal for Diarra in the coming days after the French midfielder was released by Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow in August.
Diarra, 29, had been training with West Ham in the view of earning a contract but Allardyce told reporters following Wednesday's goalless draw against Southampton that the former Real Madrid man would not be arriving at Upton Park.
"We have waited and we have negotiated for weeks to get the right deal and now we've got it, we find we can't get the right paperwork and the right clearance, so we have wasted his time and our time," said Allardyce.
"On the basis of the situation we're in right now he would have been a very crucial player for us between now and the end of the season."
Diarra, who earned 28 caps for France between 2007 and 2010, claimed FA Cup titles with Chelsea and Portsmouth, while he tasted success during his three-year stint at Real Madrid, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.
news_articleThu, 12 Feb 2015 05:50:50 +0000342250 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce pleased with West Ham characterWest Ham manager Sam Allardyce praised his team for earning a 0-0 draw in tough circumstances at Southampton.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-pleased-west-ham-character
The visitors secured a hard-earned point despite the dismissal of goalkeeper Adrian for handling outside the area, while they were further stifled by an injury to Andy Carroll that saw the striker reduced to a passenger for the final few minutes.
"The game was exactly what we didn't want in terms of how it panned out, but not in terms of how we played or the football that we tried to play or the effort that we gave," Allardyce told his club’s official website.
"The decisions went against us, particularly the sending-off which was not a sending-off.
"From there, having used all our substitutes, Andy Carroll re-injured the same knee, but I was absolutely delighted for the players who stopped a Southampton side who have been very good here this season and got us a very precious point.
"It almost feels like a win after the things we had to endure,so against all the odds we got a draw. This was a nine-man team that hasn't lost."
Allardyce confirmed his intention to appeal against the red card for his goalkeeper - a decision that left him perplexed.
"It's a foul on the goalie [Adrian],"he told BBC Sport.
"Sadio Mane had two hands around him. It's bizarre why they can't see it but this is what we have to stomachand it nearly cost us dearly. It lost us the opportunity to win the game."
If the appeal is unsuccessful, Allardyce insists he will have no problem fielding veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen when West Ham travel to West Brom in the FA Cup fifth round this weekend.
He added: "He is quality and this is the point of keeping a man like Jussi, who keeps himself super-fit for his age. He is turning 40 soon, but trains every day and loves training."
news_articleWed, 11 Feb 2015 23:55:57 +0000342113 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce: No one better than me in Premier LeagueSam Allardyce has come in for his fair share of criticism throughout his time in the Premier League but the West Ham coach claimed there is no other manager more sophisticated in the top flight.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-no-one-better-me-premier-league
Allardyce has overseen a remarkable transformation at Upton Park this season, with West Ham flying high in eighth position following Sunday's 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
The 60-year-old was on the verge of being sacked last season amid unrest from the stands due to his long-ball tactics, but with West Ham now playing a more attacking brand of football, Allardyce is the toast of East London.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's trip to Southampton, Allardyce said there is no one better than him in the Premier League.
"I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me anymore," said Allardyce. "That's not trying to criticise any other coaches but there is only Arsene [Wenger] who has done it longer than me.
"They may well have gained more experience by managing abroad like Louis van Gaal, Ronald Koeman and people like that but in this country, with the experience they've got I don't think there is any coach that would be in that position [more sophisticated]. I'm just as good as everybody at this stage.
"That comes from the amount of time you do the job, how much experience you gain in the job and how much knowledge you strive for on a regular basis to keep the cutting edge.
"The cutting edge is what's new in football, what's the next level, where is it going to be, how can you find it, how can you implement it into your club.
"I've always been that way inclined. I've never stood still and it's probably why I am still here managing in the Premier League for the last 13-14 years."
news_articleWed, 11 Feb 2015 02:26:42 +0000341491 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comKoeman: Van Gaal wasting energy over long ballRonald Koeman believesManchester United boss Louis van Gaal iswasting energy in talking about West Hams supposed long-ball tactics.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/van-gaal-wasting-energy-long-ball-debate-says-koeman
Koeman's Southampton host West Ham at St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday after the London club were criticised by Van Gaal in his pre-match press conference prior to United's clash with Burnley.
Van Gaal refuted suggestions that United deploy long-ball tactics - which West Ham boss Allardyce accused them of following Sunday's 1-1 draw between the two sides - by presenting a graphic to journalists to show that the figures from Upton Park were skewed against his side by passes to the flanks.
The graphic indicated that West Ham had played more than 70 per cent of long balls forward, compared to less than 50 per cent by United.
However, Van Gaal's Dutch compatriot Koeman has been quick to defend West Ham's approach.
"I watched the game last Sunday," Koeman said. "I think they [West Ham] played very well. Very physically strong. Maybe it depends on whether [Andy] Carroll can start. But they showed without that player they can play good football.
"I think West Ham have always options to play in a different style. What you have to do as a manager is to play with the best of the qualities the players have.
"The most easy way to attack is a long ball, like we do sometimes, we play a long ball to [Graziano] Pelle. That means in one pass you are close to the box of the opponent.
"I prefer always to play football but sometimes it's a good option if you have a player like Carroll or like Man United has with [Marouane] Fellaini. To do something different to try a different way to score goals.
"If someone says something about the tactics, in my opinion it's losing energy. I need my energy to the players and not to the press."
news_articleTue, 10 Feb 2015 16:30:48 +0000341184 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce hopeful Carroll can face SaintsSam Allardyce is hopeful that Andy Carroll will be fit for West Hams trip to Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-hopeful-over-carroll-fitness
The striker missed Sunday's 1-1 draw against Manchester United with an ankle injury, but could return for the trip to St Mary's Stadium, where James Tomkins is set to line up despite breaking his nose at Upton Park.
"Out of the injured players Andy Carroll is the only player who might make it, it's touch and go. We'll see how he is tomorrow," Allardyce said on Tuesday.
"James Tomkins broke his nose on Sunday but he should be available to play."
West Ham are eight points behind Southampton, but Allardyce is confident his side can overcome the odds.
"A win against Southampton would be fantastic,but we're taking each game as it comes," he added. "If we play like we did on Sunday, we'll do well."
Allardyce is still without the likes ofWinston Reid and James Collins, both of whom have hamstring injuries.
news_articleTue, 10 Feb 2015 10:24:38 +0000341002 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAllardyce salutes stand-in centre-back KouyateWest Ham manager Sam Allardyce lavished praised on Cheikhou Kouyates tactical awareness after he filled in as a makeshift centre-back against Manchester United on Sunday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allardyce-salutes-stand-centre-back-kouyate
Senegal international Kouyate is normally utilised as a central midfielder, but injuries to James Collins and Winston Reid meant he was needed to cover in defence.
The former Anderlecht man showed his physical presence at the other end of the pitch to open the scoring with a superb turn and volley in the 1-1 draw at Upton Park.
However, it was the solid display for West Ham's rearguard that caught the attention of manager Allardyce.
"I think he filled in there early on in the season for 10 or 15 minutes, but we know that he played for Anderlecht and he played for Senegal there," Allardyce said.
"What we didn't know was can he play with the right sort of tactical awareness and discipline you have to play with in the Premier League as a central defender and he proved that he could.
"The icing on the cake for him was the quality of his goal. In such a tight area, to flick it round and volley it in, in such a short space, was a terrific piece of skill. At that time it was nothing more than we deserved."
Kouyate has made 17 Premier League appearances since arriving at West Ham from Anderlecht in June.
news_articleMon, 09 Feb 2015 10:19:58 +0000340401 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com